Scientists from the Lleida Biomedical Research Institute in Spain have discovered that a CPAP therapy machine could save the lives of people suffering from sleep apnea (which stops breathing for more than 10 seconds). Results will be available at: meeting European Respiratory Society in Milan.
In sleep apnea, the throat muscles relax, causing the airway to narrow or close completely. This causes the oxygen level in the blood to decrease, sleep quality to deteriorate, and the risk of hypertension, heart attack and stroke to increase. The first recommendation for sleep apnea patients who are overweight or obese is weight loss.
In cases where weight loss is not enough to relieve apnea, the gold standard is the use of a CPAP mask, which prevents breathing from stopping by creating continuous positive airway pressure during sleep. However, previous studies have not been able to definitively prove the effectiveness of this treatment in preventing cardiovascular diseases.
In the new study, researchers analyzed data from more than 3,600 sleep apnea patients who stopped using CPAP machines in 2011. Researchers compared them to the same number of patients who continued treatment until at least 2015.
Patients who continued CPAP therapy throughout the study period experienced a 36% reduction in the risk of death due to cardiovascular disease. They also had an 18% lower risk of hospitalization for cardiovascular disease.
People with sleep apnea often refuse CPAP treatment due to the cumbersomeness of the machines. A new job may provide additional incentive to continue treatment. However, the study is observational and therefore does not prove a cause-effect relationship between the use of CPAP therapy and a reduced risk of disease.